Mental health nurse practitioners, also referred to as psychiatric nurse practitioners, are advanced practice nurses who provide many of the same services as psychiatrists. They conduct psychiatric evaluations, prescribe psychotropic medication to treat psychiatric symptoms and offer other forms of treatment, such as psychotherapy, according to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Mental health nurse practitioners must have either a master's or doctoral degree in nursing, requiring several years of post-secondary education.

Bachelor's Degrees

The first step to becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner is obtaining a bachelor's degree, which generally takes four years of full-time study. It's advisable and typical, though not always required, to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Schools such as Columbia University's School of Nursing will consider applicants with bachelor's degrees in non-nursing fields. If your bachelor's degree is in a non-nursing field, you will need to complete additional education to qualify as an RN.

Qualifying as a Registered Nurse

To be eligible for admission to graduate programs in psychiatric nursing, you will need to be an RN. To qaulify, you need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN. If you have earned a bachelor's degree in nursing, you are already eligible to take the examination, but if your bachelor's degree is in another field, you need to first complete an appropriate course of education, such as an associate degree in nursing or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Associate degree programs and diplomas in nursing usually take between two and three years to complete.

Graduate Degree Options

After you have obtained the RN credential, one year of work experience is often required for acceptance to graduate school in nursing. You may then apply to graduate degree programs with a focus on psychiatry. You will choose between a Master of Science in Nursing degree concentrating on psychiatric nursing, or a Doctor of Nursing Practice in psychiatric nursing. MSN programs require two years of full-time study. It is not necessary to complete an MSN before applying to DNP programs, which require two years if you have already earned an MSN. If not, the DNP will take an additional three years of study.

Board Certification

Obtaining board certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center is the final step to becoming a certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. To become board certified and receive the PMHNP-BC credential, you must have a current and active RN license, have a graduate degree from an accredited adult psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program in which you have completed 500 supervised clinical hours of experience, show proof that you have completed the required graduate coursework and pass the board certification examination.

About the Author

Ashley Miller is a licensed social worker, psychotherapist, certified Reiki practitioner, yoga enthusiast and aromatherapist. She has also worked as an employee assistance program counselor and a substance-abuse professional. Miller holds a Master of Social Work and has extensive training in mental health diagnosis, as well as child and adolescent psychotherapy. She also has a bachelor's degree in music.